


All is Calm, All is Bright

by whointheheck



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Canada, Christmas, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Gen, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 10:15:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17160137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whointheheck/pseuds/whointheheck
Summary: “You have such a sweet husband.” April said with a smile as they helped the students put on face paint to finish up their costumes.Alice, who was being decorated as a poinsettia, looked up at that with her wide searching eyes.“Oh, I—” Kara didn’t know what to say, and let out a stumbled. “Thank you.”





	All is Calm, All is Bright

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in the summer, but I waited until today to post it. The fact that Kara and Luther didn't get to become lovers in the game is ridiculous. Enjoy!

Heading to Canada had been greatly rewarding.

Androids that seeked shelter over the border were helped in restarting their lives through shelters and services. It wasn’t long before they were able to find work doing menial tasks and searching for their own career paths to make a living.

Being what they were made it easier to hold off spending money. Most of their finances went to a small cottage-esque house in a neighborhood designed for android-human unity.

Kara had managed to find work at a local daycare center - a majority of it being an assistant teacher to her boss, April. She participated in getting to taking care of the android kids during their human counterparts nap times, taught them fun learning games, and cleaned up their large messes. It was a simple, yet eventful job and she loved every moment of it.

Today though, was incredibly special.

It was the first project she was allowed to produce. April had giving her the responsibility of preparing a play about the incoming Christmas season.

“ _Christmas is all about bonding with your loved ones to humans_ .” April explained to her. “ _This will teach us humans more about equality and gives the androids the taste of a real Christmas_.”

Alice had helped make the costumes, and Luther was helping prepare the auditorium by hanging up all of the decorations the children had made.

It was all, so much more than they’d ever hoped for.

“You have such a sweet husband.” April said with a smile as they helped the students put on face paint to finish up their costumes.

Alice, who was being decorated as a poinsettia, looked up at that with her wide searching eyes.

“Oh, I—” Kara didn’t know what to say, and let out a stumbled. “Thank you.”

The conversation moved on from that. Kara ignored Alice’s curious gaze, patting her head and sending her off to her friends so they could do one final practice before the show.

She didn’t know why she didn’t tell the truth.

“I wish Gerald would help out more.” April complained. “Luther doing this is seriously so freaking awesome. You are super lucky.”

Kara gave something close to a smile. “Thank you. Luther likes doing this for Alice.”

She doesn’t know why she didn’t bother to correct her boss the second time.

Luther was family, there was no denying that. He was the one that got a majority of their money, working long hours at the construction site so he could spoil Alice by buying as many toys that could fill her room. He was the one that would craft wood-carvings to add to their mantle in the house.

Sometimes, Alice would call him, “ _Dad_ ,” and there was nothing that day that could take away his smile. Kara knew the feeling because it warmed her processors too when Alice hugged her and said, “ _Mom_.”

Did that make him her husband?

Kara watched as Luther complimented Alice’s outfit, and watched her laugh and spin — petals spilling out from her face into a glorious poinsettia.

“I feel lucky.” Kara added, and tucked back away into her work.

Later that evening, in the middle of the show her and Luther stood together to watch; both tucked away to the side of the stage.

“ _O’, Christmas tree! O’, Christmas tree! We surely love your branches!_ ”

“You didn’t have to stand here with me.” Kara whispered to him.

“I don’t mind.” Luther said, but he never did. “You must be proud. The little one is happy with all her friends.”

Kara nodded. “I’m glad we moved here.” She added, softer. “I’m glad we _made_ it here.”

They watched the performance for awhile in silence before a warmth enveloped her shoulders. She looked up at Luther’s face that remained trained on the outside stage. His arm stayed wrapped firmly, protectively around her.

Struggling to find words, Kara said nothing — and let her hand reach up to grab his much larger one and let them hold there.

 

******

 

“Are you two going to get married?” Alice asked that night during their hour at the table in makeshift for dinner.

Kara peered over her book at Alice and had to force herself not to make a shushing sound.

Luther’s shoulders shook with a deep laugh. “Why would we do that?”

Alice shrugged and focused more on her puzzle. “Ms. April thinks you both are married.”

“Ah,” Luther hesitated, and Kara trained her eyes onto her book. She heard him quietly place down his own work to put all his attention on their child. “Does it matter whether or not we're married, Alice? You've never cared before.”

There was a bit of shuffling of Alice pushing at puzzle pieces while she gathered her words. “I don't know… Katie's parents are married, and Ron's parents are divorced but they still come see him all the time. And…” There was a bit of silence, and Kara knew Alice was checking on her before the girl said quieter. “And... Todd w-was… but I… I never met her, that was before…”

“It's alright, little one.” Luther told her, soothingly. “Marriage is not for everyone. It's complicated. The thing to remember is that all relationships involve working together, time to get to know each other, and; the most important thing: love.”

Alice nodded slowly and Kara turned her page, holding in a sigh. “But you two love each other, right?”

Kara closed her eyes and was ready to interject when she heard Luther's affirmative, “Of course.”

Her fingers subconsciously clenched into her book pages, and fluttering spread from her chest in a rush of thirium running through her makeshift veins. Kara blinked a bit to re-calibrate.

“But that doesn't mean we have to get married.” Luther continued on unaware, confidently.

“Why not?”

“You have a lot of questions tonight.” Luther pointed out causing Alice to let out a long sigh.

“ _Luther_.” Alice groaned.

“And whining too.” Luther laughed, “so much you've learned in that school of yours, I see.”

A laugh tickled up Kara's throat, she holding it as Alice glared at her with puffed cheeks. Deciding to take the reigns of this ridiculous conversation, Kara finally placed her book down. “We're a family, Alice. Isn't that that what matters here?”

“Yeah…” Alice sighed. “I just want you both to be happy.”

Kara's humor faded, and she glanced at Luther to see him staring back at her. Discomforted, Kara stood up. She took a big breath. “I think it's time to call it a night.”

“Aww,” Alice complained, pushing out of her seat and Luther followed suit.

Even if they didn't have to sleep, they still required charging. Alice's room was the furthest in the house, the bed covered in stuffed animals. Along with the floor and window sill, Kara noticed with a critical eye.

Alice quickly changed and went to bed, letting Kara tuck her in. “Could you tell me a story?”

“I'll tell her one.” Luther interjected from the doorway. “I know you're tired from tonight, Kara.”

Kara opened her mouth to interject, but her charge _was_ low. Reluctantly, she moved just before kissing the top of Alice's head goodnight.

She stopped to watch Luther grab his usual chair to sit beside the bed before she moved down the hall to her own room. Her room was not as cluttered, the only indulgence she had being the large bed. Kara had no need for sleep, she knew, but the normalcy was something she enjoyed with an edge of guilt.

She removed her shoes, and clothes to place in her laundry bin for washing before checking her drawers for nightclothes. Kara found the soft blue bunny pajamas Alice had made her get and tossed them on.

Sitting down on her bed, Kara plugged in her charger and covered her feet with the covers. She dug into her side drawer and began to write about her day, releasing her excess thoughts.

_Hello, Kara. Today is December 17th 2042._

_Today's school play was a success…_

The soft scratch of her pen was soothing, allowing her memories to be placed on paper.

  _Des_ _pite it being the holiday season, the theme for today has been a different celebration:_ _marriage_ _._

Her hand slowed, and she tilted her head — continuing on as her thoughts completely took over.

_I have never considered it before. I do not even know if android marriages are allowed by law. Most Android's consist of calling the other partner, or other terms that fits the bill of a significant other._

_Luther is my partner… but I do not know if that equates to what April called us._

_To what Alice may want._

_I am unsure if that is something I want,_

Kara heard the soft whirling of her body and pressed forward.

_but I know I would not mind._

A knock hit her door. Kara scrambled to close her journal and pressed her hand against the top to lock it just in case.

“Come in.” She called, pressing the book against her lap.

Luther opened the door and smiled upon seeing her.

An anomaly happened again in her servers, causing to feel Kara light-headed. A human would call this feeling 'breathless’.

“You look comfortable.” Luther commented, sitting on the side of the bed. His hand reached out rested on her calf, making her rest back on her pillows.

“I'm just writing.” Kara shrugged, running her fingers over the crease of her journal.

“I'm sorry, I must have interrupted.”

“No, no. It's fine.” Kara interjected, shaking her head. “I was just finishing up for the night.”

Luther hummed, voice low. “...You never told me why you started writing.”

Kara blinked, and searched for words. “I…” She caught his eye. “It was fear, mostly. This was a new place and I didn't know if anyone would try to hurt us again… Twice now, I've lost my memories… I don't think I could handle something like that again. So, I-I write and it makes feel safe. Like my own backup server.”

Sometimes she even wrote her own little stories between the pages, just to have something of her own.

Material things had become a haven for her in the past few years. She couldn't help how much she sometimes wished to be human, for it to be easier. Normal.

Luther sighed, head down. “I never fully apologized for that...”

“Hey, you were just following orders.” Kara reminded him. It hurt to still see that guilt weigh heavy on his shoulders, to think that once before she had considered leaving him behind.

“That doesn't make me wish I hadn't woken up sooner. It terrifies me to think of what might've happened if I hadn't. I am truly sorry, Kara.”

“Luther,” Kara placed her hand over his and regained his eyes on her. “You don't have to apologise. You’ve done so much more for us that makes up for everything that happened in that house. You're the one who brought us to where we are today… You have no idea how thankful I am for that.”

Luther's brown eyes roved over her face. Somehow Kara had managed to get his hand to slide up with her own to rest against her thigh. “Kara…”

“I won't listen to you berate yourself anymore.” Kara told him quietly. “You're apart of this family too. Please, stop forgetting that.” Whether it was confidence or desperation, Kara turned his hand around on her lap to grasp it with her own.

His gaze turned downward. It warmed her to shock him, to give him something that made his eyes widen. “Kara…”

Their skin graft faded away to the porcelain white underneath. Her hand barely shook. “I mean it.”

His eyes locked with hers and after a moment’s hesitation, he relaxed. Memories flooded through the open channel, burning through her programs as she saw the horrors Luther faced in that house — learning early on how better it was to live with his head turned away from the carnage. The fear that had lived inside him for so long. She shared that cold drive home and the following night where she ran out into the rain with Alice's little hand in hers for the first time. The desperate need to break free.

There was a chill just before a heady zap that spread through their wires with an exhilarating _rush_.

A gasp fell from Kara's mouth, quivering her lips like an invitation. Leaning forward, her forehead pressed against Luther's — searching for their own semblance of air.

How could people in love _live_ like this?

How could she have lived so long without?

“Kara,” A hand grasped her cheek, and she pressed into the hold.

“Yes?” She said, softly.

Luther's thumb slowly swiped over her bottom lip.

Kara's eyes fluttered open to see his eyes trained there as well, hesitating. “Oh, Luther…”

His eyes met hers, pleading. “We cannot go back from this…”

A twinkle of a laugh left Kara, even at his exasperated frown. The gentle giant; so giving though he knew not when to take.

Kara has always been the more selfish of the two. “Another adventure with you?” She whispered. “I wouldn't want anything less.”

Any repercussions that bloomed in Luther's head faded with the wind, as they should. His eyes, brown and deep closed and Kara joined him.

There was just a brush, a taste, before their lips pressed together.

Outside, the sky began to snow and with the world — a serenity bloomed.


End file.
